The Lost Lands

Friend or Foe??

10

MAY/11

After resting in the temple, the party decided to head back to Hommlet to train their skills. Aldoron also lacked the skills to once again to make a mighty composite longbow – his third attempt now. Spending four weeks in Hommlet, the group then decided to head back into the Temple.

The party found the great bronze doors into the main temple broken asunder when they returned, possibly from a competing adventuring company. The group returned to the 2nd level of the temple and immediately went to the large octagonal room where the demon had been summoned. They were looking for the second brazier that they had left behind (the first one was worth 10,000 gp). It was gone when they re-entered the room, and they also found a group of defeated bugbears.

They returned to their exploration of the temple and entered a long corridor painted with different types of scenes, representing each of the four elements. Bricker set off down the corridor and immediately began to drown from some unseen magic. He returned and donned one of the green robes that had been looted from one of the priests in the Water Temple. This time, he was unharmed until he entered the section of the corridor that was decorated with fire scenes. He changed into a red robe, and along with Kaleb in a robe also, went down the corridor into the Fire Temple.

This huge room had several large pots, each full of a mysterious liquid (oil). A large alter and fire pit was in the room and fire glowed from the pit. The party made their way to the alter, and a pair of bugbears snuck out from behind a tapestry and fired at them. The bugbears immediately ducked behind the tapestries. The party charged the spot where the bugbears were. A human warrior stepped out from behind the tapestry with a fiery sword in one hand and a torch in the other. He threw the torch at the nearest pot and a chain reaction swept through the room in a series of explosions which engulfed the party. He ducked behind the tapestry out of sight. When the party closed on the tapestry, the warrior stepped out again and a rope of entangling flew from his belt and trapped Kaleb, Bricker, and Haek. Kaleb managed to get a burst of sound from his sword of sounding, but otherwise the three were helpless until they cut their way free. Blows were finally exchanged and the warrior and both bugbears were overcame.

Next the party searched an adjoining chamber and overcame two Fire Temple priests. During the last battle with the 2nd priest, Aldoron accidentally(??) shot Bricker in the back, not once – but twice. Bricker swore to watch the elf from this point on. While the party rested the night, they heard the sounds of another group of adventurers nearby.

Rested, the party set off to look for the competing band. They found evidence of the band being in the Fire Temple and followed them down to the 3rd level below the temple. The encountered a lamia that used powerful mind magic on Bricker and Kaleb. Kaleb immediately attacked Bricker and pummeled him into unconsciousness. Haek used his wand of paralyzation on Kaleb and managed to hold him still. The lamia closed on Aldoron and drained his wisdom twice before being overcame. The group regained it’s senses after the creature was defeated but Aldoron did not seem any wiser.

Next the party entered a room full of statues. While they were searching the statues, the lights in the room revealed their true identity. They were will o’ wisps. Urgently, the party fought the creatures and finally managed to lure the creatures next to a trapped statue and triggered the trap. Hurt, the creatures were much easier to defeat. Wearied and loaded with treasure, the party left again for Hommlet.